PERERA ALEMÁN - Key Persons
Alex Harne is a native of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Mr. Harne obtained his undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida, and graduated with cum laude honors. Mr. Harne graduated from the University of Miami School of Law during which time he focused his practical endeavors on civil and commercial defense litigation.
Mr. Harne has been published by the Labor & Employment Section of the Florida Bar on several occasions. Mr. Harne has represented several Fortune 500 companies, in addition to various other public employers and municipalities throughout South Florida, on matters ranging from employment discrimination and retaliation under local, state, and federal laws, wage and hour disputes, public and private whistleblower actions, restrictive covenants and other contract disputes, employee benefits assistance and COBRA, ERISA, employee handbook and company policy-making and advising clients as to best practices in employment and labor matters.
Mr. Harne has extensive litigation experience at both the state and federal level. Mr. Harne is admitted to practice in the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida.
Practice Areas
Labor and Employment Litigation - Defense
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney - Miami Office
Alexandra Hayes is an associate of Perera Alemán. Alexandra's practice focuses on all manner of employment litigation, particularly employment discrimination and non-compete agreements. She represents both employers and employees, from the pre-suit administrative process through trial and appeal.
Alexandra earned her bachelor's degree from Indiana University before graduating from the University of Miami School of Law in 2013. While at UM, Alexandra was the Vice President of Advanced Appellate Advocacy for the Charles C. Papy Moot Court Board. She was also a member of the Business Law Review where she applied her sports management degree and love of all things football into a published note on the NFL collective bargaining process and antitrust shield.
Upon graduation, Alexandra began her legal practice at a boutique litigation firm defending state and local government entities. Her practice focused on complex constitutional tort and employment discrimination claims in federal and state court, at both the trial and appellate levels.
Practice Areas
Labor And Employment
Bayardo E. Alemán is a founding partner of Perera Alemán and leads the Firm's Miami Office. He regularly handles high-stakes cases covering sensitive subject matters in all areas of labor & employment law, including employment discrimination, retaliation, whistleblower lawsuits, and sexual harassment lawsuits. Bayardo has extensive experience litigating non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, and wage and hour lawsuits in a wide range of industries. Bayardo also counsels clients on day-to-day human resources issues and frequently speaks and conducts training on labor & employment issues in English and Spanish. Prior to joining the Firm, Bayardo was a partner at one of Florida's most-well respected full-service firms.
Bayardo has been recognized by Florida Super Lawyers as a "Rising Star" every year from 2017 through 2021. He has been named a "A Top Litigator Under 40" and "Labor and Employment Star" by Benchmark Litigation every year from 2018 through 2021. That publication also included him in its "40 & Under Hot List" from 2018 through 2020. Bayardo was named a "Top Lawyer" by the South Florida Legal Guide in 2020 and was recognized in the 2021 edition of Florida Trend's "Legal Elite" - a recognition given to only 1,263 attorneys in the State of Florida (just over 1%). Bayardo was also named a top "40 Under 40 Outstanding Lawyers of South Florida" by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in 2016. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. A proud Gator, in 2019, Bayardo was named among the University of Florida's "Top 40 Under 40 Outstanding Young Alumni."
Bayardo moved to the U.S. from Nicaragua at the age of 8, and remains deeply committed to the Hispanic community. Through the Cuban American Bar Association's Pro Bono Immigrant Minors Project, Bayardo has represented unaccompanied immigrant children who have fled poverty and violence in Central America, obtaining U.S. permanent visas for them. He also serves as guardian ad litem and volunteers at legal clinics where he advises low-income individuals on landlord/tenant, immigration, and employment issues, and a domestic violence center where he provides legal advice on employment rights to victims of domestic or sexual violence.
Although the Firm represents companies and public entities, it also proudly represents individuals in high-stakes matters. As a first-generation immigrant raised by hard-working parents who instilled the importance of a tireless work ethic, compassion, and integrity, Bayardo knows the importance of helping those in need and of what it takes to achieve just results.
Practice Areas
Labor and Employment
Biography
Brody Max Shulman is a partner at Perera Alemán, native of South Florida, and avid Miami Hurricanes fan. Since graduating from law school, Brody's focus revolves around labor and employment legal issues for both individuals and businesses at the local, state, and federal levels. Brody's vast experience and enthusiasm to obtain client goals reflect the spirit of Perera Alemán.
After graduating high school, Brody attended the University of Miami where he obtained a bachelor's degree as a double major in Political Science and Psychology. During his time at the University of Miami, Brody received several academic honors, such as his selection to the Provost's Honor Roll and Dean's List, and induction into the Alpha Lamda Delta Honor Society. During his undergraduate tenure, Brody developed a desire to become an attorney. He achieved the first step towards this dream when he was accepted to the University of Miami School of Law.
While attending the University of Miami School of Law, Brody heavily involved himself both in and outside of the school walls. On-campus, Brody assisted new students as an ambassador, helped guide student-orientated legal development programs as an Executive Board member of Phi Alpha Delta, and was appointed Chief Justice of the University of Miami School of Law's Student Bar Association Supreme Court. In the community, Brody participated as a Volunteer Income Tax Advisor and a H.O.P.E. member (a pro bono program aimed at helping disadvantaged individuals with legal issues).
In addition to his academic and community pursuits, Brody was honored to work and learn under the tutelage of the Honorable Judge Jacqueline Hogan-Scola of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida and the Honorable Judge Angel Cortiñas of the Third District Court of Appeals. Envisioning himself in the courtroom, Brody worked as a Certified Legal Intern for the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office where he gained valuable experience participating as a lead in bench trials and preliminary hearings.
Upon graduating from the University of Miami School of Law and passing the Florida Bar, Brody joined a local labor and employment firm and headed a high-demand department and served as lead counsel on numerous labor and employment cases pending in state court, federal court, before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and in arbitration.
Freddy Perera is a founding partner of Perera Alemán. Freddy has elite academic accomplishments, a big firm background, and a passion for personal service-the type of passion that is at the heart of the Firm.
Before attending law school, Freddy obtained his bachelor's degree from Florida Atlantic University where he graduated number one (1) in his class with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Following his undergraduate degree, Freddy worked as a law clerk at the City of Hialeah, where he became acquainted with public sector law. Thereafter, Freddy attended law school at night and worked as a year-round law clerk at the national labor and employment firm Ford & Harrison, LLP for several years. Prior to his graduation from law school, Freddy also worked as a law clerk at another national labor and employment firm-Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.
Despite his demanding work schedule, Freddy graduated summa cum laude and valedictorian of his graduating class at Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad College of Law. Freddy received the Book Award (highest grade) in several courses during law school, including Employment Law, Contract Law, and Legal Writing. In addition to the awards received at Nova, Freddy received the Most Outstanding Labor and Employment Law School Student award issued by the Labor & Employment Section of the Florida Bar.
Following his law school graduation, Freddy joined Stearns, Weaver, Miller, Weissler, Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A.-a well-respected full-service law firm in Florida. Freddy worked at Stearns Weaver for approximately five and a half years. During that time, Freddy also served as General Counsel for the Florida Atlantic Research and Development Authority-a public-sector special district-for approximately three and a half years. Freddy served as the lead negotiator in multi-million-dollar labor negotiations, lead counsel in numerous labor and employment litigation cases, lead counsel in arbitration, and handled a wide array of legal matters for many large corporations and several public entities while working at Stearns Weaver.
Although the Firm represents companies and public entities, it also frequently and proudly represents individuals. As a first-generation immigrant raised by a heroic single mother, Freddy learned the importance of helping those in need. Helping workers obtain justice by recovering unpaid compensation or prevailing on cases of unfair treatment is one of the Firm's great joys. While many law firms specialize in either defense or plaintiff work, particularly in the labor and employment law arena, Perera Alemán believes its experience on both sides gives it a unique advantage in litigation.
Freddy is a regular lecturer and author with respect to labor and employment matters. Some examples of the presentations he has given include:
Speaker, "'The Art of the Deal': Negotiation and Psychology In The Workplace," Human Resource Association of Broward County, July 8, 2015.
Speaker, "Employment Law Issues for Accountants and Financial Professionals," Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants Miami-Dade Chapter, June 30, 2015.
Speaker, "What Every Employer Needs to Know about Labor and Employment Laws in Florida," Doral Chamber of Commerce, June 3, 2015.
Speaker, "Labor & Employment Law Essentials for Employers and Management," Doral Chamber of Commerce, November 5, 2014.
Freddy has been selected as a Super Lawyers, Rising Star. In addition, Freddy served as the Chair of the Law School Liaison Committee of the Florida Bar Labor and Employment Law Section for multiple years. Currently, Freddy is a member of the Cuban American Bar Association and New Dawn Church-a Christian church Freddy represents as General Counsel.
Practice Areas
Labor And Employment
Rayda Alemán is a partner at Perera Alemán. She helps companies and individuals solve problems-both small and large. She represents clients in non-compete litigation, business and commercial litigation, regulatory enforcement proceedings, and education law. She has defended various clients in enforcement actions brought by governmental agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Rayda has also represented various proprietary schools in dozens of matters litigated in state and federal courts and in arbitration around the country.
Rayda is a native Floridian, born and raised in Miami by first-generation Cuban immigrants. Concerned that she might lose her Spanish, her parents enrolled Rayda in the International Studies (IS) Program starting in middle school. This allowed Rayda to take half her classes in Spanish, taught using the same books and curriculum used in Spain, and the other half in English. Under the IS Program, Rayda earned dual high school diplomas-one from the United States and the other from Spain.
Rayda continued her education at the University of Florida where she majored in Business Administration and maintained her Spanish studies with a concentration and minor in Spanish. After graduating from the University of Florida, with honors, Rayda enrolled at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Missing her Latin roots, Rayda competed in the Hispanic National Bar Association's moot court competition where her team was a semi-finalist.
While in law school, Rayda clerked for the Honorable Henry H. Harnage, then a Circuit Court Judge in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County. This allowed Rayda to gain invaluable experience in civil litigation, and learn first-hand the best techniques to sway a Judge. Upon graduating from law school, Rayda moved back to Miami to work for a top local litigation boutique firm where she worked for over a decade and a half.
Practice Areas
Complex Business Litigation
Biography
Stepanka Hofmanova is an associate of Perera Alemán. Stepanka mainly focuses on labor and employment law, commercial litigation, and business transactions.
Stepanka is a graduate of Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad College of Law in Florida (Juris Doctor 2019) and Charles University, Faculty of Law in Prague, Czech Republic (Juris Doctor 2017, Master of Laws 2017).
During her studies at Charles University, Stepanka's outstanding academic performance led to an offer from Nova Southeastern University to enroll in its dual-degree program that annually offers scholarship to no more than two law students from the Czech Republic.
Stepanka's unique knowledge of both common law and civil law, as well as the law of European Union, gives her the edge when advising clients on international business transactions.
As a legal intern, Stepanka prepared memoranda on various questions of business law, M&A, competition law, or real estate. She also prepared submissions to the European Commission and pleadings for arbitration proceedings before the International Chamber of Commerce. Stepanka further provided advisory on compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union (GDPR), a regulation affecting all US-based entities transacting business in the European Union.